


Awaken Me

by TheLiteraryMess



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Poe Dameron (Comics)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 08:33:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25467823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLiteraryMess/pseuds/TheLiteraryMess
Summary: Poe and Reader narrowly escape the First Order with the help of a rogue Stormtrooper but end up stranded on Jakku.
Relationships: Poe Dameron x Solo!Reader, Poe Dameron/Reader, Poe Dameron/Solo!Reader, poe dameron x reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31





	Awaken Me

Warnings: Swearing, a lot of cliches and tropes

Well, this was cosy. Y/N just had to get ahold of the First Order’s interior designer. So much darkness, just like Kylo Ren’s soul! With less than thirty years of life experience Y/N Solo was always seen as young, as a child, but just because she had less time in the Galaxy than others in the resistance certainly did not make her any less capable. At least that was what she argued to her mother. And then finally, finally she had been given permission to go on a mission. And then she’d ended up here, the very last place she wanted to be, because she couldn’t let her brother hurt anybody else. She glanced over her shoulder, trying once again to pull at the rope binding her wrists but of course, it was no use, Stormtroopers weren’t that foolish. She let out a groan, throwing her head against the back of the chair and wincing as a result. She wasn’t in physical pain per se, more emotional. Ever since that night at the temple she’d wanted to see her brother again, and now that she had, she felt like a part of her had been ripped out. Perhaps, it was because a part of her had convinced herself that maybe if Ben saw her, he would stop this idiocy and come back to the light. She had been naive, no such thing would be happening.   
After crying it out for a bit, she sat in contempt, aware of the guard outside and the fact that she may never get out of here. She wondered what exactly Kylo Ren would do to her. Was he so far gone that he would kill his baby sister in cold blood? Or would he torture her for information then force her to watch as he murdered everybody that she cared about?  
Her mind ran wild with possibilities until she heard voices outside and one of the stormtroopers returned. At least, she assumed it was one of the troopers that had stood guard by the door. They didn't exactly wear name badges.  
“It’s your lucky day. Ren requires an audience.”   
She was prodded from her seat and out the door, dragging herself through hallways until the pair ended up outside another supposed cell and Y/N saw Poe through the bars.   
“You look like shit, Commander.”  
It was harsh, but true. His lips were battered and bloodied, a small cut in the corner of his mouth. Another cut, just as brutal, stained the side of his head. The sight of her usually sharp and composed commander sent a shiver down her spine as she chewed on the inside of her cheek. It also came as a relief, though. She had only seen and heard snippets of what Kylo Ren was truly capable of, but it was enough for Y/N to know that the pilot was extremely lucky to still be alive.  
Her words must have added some levity to the tense ambience because the pilot still found a way to muster the strength to shoot her his signature smirk.  
“I can always count on you to tell it like it is, Lieutenant.”  
Y/N relaxed a little, glad that even the First Order were unable to break Poe’s spirit.   
“Runs in the family.”  
She walked in front of the stormtrooper, navigating their way through narrow corridors with a blaster aimed at their backs. She would rather have gone behind Poe to take the bullet but she also knew that the leader of Black Squadron would never allow it. She had thought that standing had been bad, but walking was harder with the gruelling exhaustion coursing through her veins. How long had it been since they’d parted with Lor San Tekka? Since they had left BB8 alone to roam the dunes of Jakku with vital information belonging to the Resistance?  
Poe eventually fell into step with Y/N, but his gaze was trained ahead of him. Like a true soldier. The only hint of emotion she could identify was the way his lips trembled every so often. He only had so much strength in him, how much was he using to hold himself together?  
“I told him, Y/N.” He finally broke, telling her that he Kylo had pulled the information he needed from his mind. The First Order were already sending old a search party for an orange and white, one-of-its-kind BB-unit. Dameron didn’t specify what Kylo Ren had done to retrieve the information from Poe, who was so loyal to the resistance that he was wiling to die for it, but Y/N already had a feeling about what had gone down in his cell. His confession made her heart drop. Not because of his betrayal, but because she’d never actually heard Poe apologise for anything before. He was always so sure of himself, sure that he was doing the right thing. “It’s my fault. I let him in and now BB-8’s being hunted down and they don’t need us anymore.”  
“It’s not your fault. It’s a temporary setback, just means we have a time limit to-”  
“Turn here.” The stormtrooper interrupted.  
They found themselves in a narrow passageway on the Star Destroyer and Y/N braced herself for their execution. So this was it, Kylo Ren didn’t even care enough to make a spectacle of murdering two valued members of the Resistance. She braced herself for a quick, merciless death and reached for Poe. If they were going down, it would be as heroes.  
“Listen carefully; if you do exactly as I say, I can get you out of here.”  
“If- what?” Poe asked. Y/N didn’t blame him, she was just as surprised when the trooper removed his helmet to reveal a man maybe a few years younger than herself.  
“This is a rescue, I’m helping you escape. Can you fly a TIE fighter?”  
Poe seemed to still be processing what was going on but his grip on Y/N’s hand loosened slightly and she let him. Their moment of vulnerability was gone as he asked. “You with the resistance?”  
“What?” The stormtrooper looked at Poe like he was crazy. Not as crazy as a stormtrooper going rogue. Y/N definitely would have recognised him if he was a Resistance spy. “No no no. I’m breaking you out. Can you fly a TIE fighter?” The young man repeated.  
“He’s the best pilot in the galaxy. He can fly anything, especially if it has guns.” She cut in quickly. Although the corridor was narrow, they were still vulnerable. They couldn’t stand around forever. “We need to go, now.”  
“Why? Why are you helping us?”  
“Because it’s the right thing to do.”  
She was more than willing to accept that excuse if it meant getting help but Poe wasn’t entirely ready to let the matter go just yet.  
“You need a pilot.” He realised.  
“I need a pilot.” The man confirmed.  
Poe flashed his hero smile as Y/N called it, teeth and all. They’d be escaping the First Order’s clutches and helping a man in need. She knew exactly where his train of thought was going and Y/N awaited his orders.   
“We’re going to do this.”   
That was reassuring, but they still had to make it to the TIE fighter in the first place. It had been the stormtrooper’s idea but even he looked a little uncertain that the plan would work.”  
Once they were in the air, Poe could get them out of here. They could drop the stormtrooper off at Jakku and find BB-8 before heading home with the map. It sounded easy, but the actual execution of the plan would be harder. If Poe believed they could succeed, then she would follow him.   
She’d follow him to the stars.  
****  
The rogue stormtrooper had led them to the same hangar they’d been brought in, his blaster aimed at their back again. To any onlooker, he was escorting two prisoners. A group of officers walked past without a glance, easing Y/N’s mind further.   
As they walked, she heard the man repeatedly warning them to stay calm.  
“I am calm. Poe does stupid stuff like this all the time. I trust him.”  
Poe glanced sideways at her but she ignored it. Where was the lie? She was also too busy admiring the vast size of the hangar. She had to admit, the First Order knew how to do things in an orderly fashion.  
The stormtrooper only responded with “I’m talking to myself.” and she noted that this was going to be harder than she thought. Poe’s confidence and ability to remain his usual cocky self had come with years of experience in dangerous situations like this. Death was his enemy.   
“Not yet. Go this way.” The stormtrooper changed direction, manoeuvring their small group towards the far way before they broke into a run to get into the three-man Special Forces TIE fighter.  
Y/N jumped into the spacecraft and made sure she was strapped in. If they managed to survive escaping the First Order then dying because she hadn’t used her seat belt would make her look a lot less heroic.   
While Poe made quick work of getting the stormtrooper aquaited with the controls so that they could make a swift escape, she was finally able to reflect on her interrogation with Ren.  
“You refuse to call me by my real name or even acknowledge me as your brother. Why is that?”  
“Because you’re not brother.” She scoffed. “Ben Solo was the one who tucked me into bed every night at the temple. Ben Solo was the one who, when the other kids laughed at my lack of progress, snuck into the Temple and swapped all their lightsabers for broomsticks. Ben Solo, who got up at the crack of dawn every morning to teach me himself. I refuse to let those memories be tarnished by a monster. Kylo Ren lacks the ability to feel love, remorse or joy. Ben Solo is my brother, and he’s dead because of you.”  
Fwoom!  
The TIE fighter lurched forward, bringing her back to reality. It was struggling to rise as the cables still clung onto the ship. She glanced up into the control room and cursed under her breath, they had definitely been caught by now. “We might have some unwanted company,” She warned the two men. “No pressure though.”  
Y/N recognised some of the controls simalar to those on the Falcon and helped by shooting at the approaching Stormtroopers. That was sure to annoy Kylo Ren. She risked a glance at Poe to see what was taking so long and smiled to herself, he looked so in his element.   
Leaning over, she tapped the cable release button. The TIE lifted from the ground, free for flight. “I think you’re looking for this.” She told him and looked back at her controls. “They’ve got cannons. If we want to make it out of here then we’ve gotta take them down. No point in being subtle now.” She pointed out as she and the rogue stormtrooper opened fire, tearing through parked ships with well aimed blasts.  
“Got it, thanks Y/N/N!” Poe called out as they finally escaped, entering a mode of focus.  
This was in their hands now. Y/N just had to do what she did best and trust her commander. She switched into fight mode, something she had observed her parents doing countless times before.  
“We make a good team, I thought you knew that already.”  
She grabbed the handles used to aim the guns, hands shaking with them as she blasted through the windows of the control room. She hadn’t exactly meant to do that.  
“Holy shit! I see why you like blowing things up so much, Dameron.” She grinned, loving her first taste of fighting for the Resistance.   
“All right! We’ve got to take out as many cannons as we can or we’re not going to get very far!” Poe directed. "I’m going to get us in position. Just stay sharp.” The fighter dived through an opening between the levels of the Star Destroyer and down beneath the ship's belly before approaching the cannons. “Up ahead! You see it? I’ve got us dead-centred. It’s a clean shot.”  
“Got it.” The stormtrooper responded diligently as they began firing.   
A series of cannons exploded and the TIE fighter sliced through the debris with Poe’s skilful piloting.  
“Yes! You see that?! Did you see that?”  
“I saw it!” Poe responded with equal enthusiasm.   
Y/N grinned and targeted the other TIE’s chasing after them. “I’m Y/N, Y/N Solo! What’s your name?” She asked the man on her right. After this guy had saved Poe and herself from inevitable death, she was pretty sure that the trio would become fast friends. Their group would be complete once they found BB-8.  
“FN-2187!” He replied without a second thought.   
The way the man recited it spoke volumes about his history. Y/N had heard rumours of the First Order taking kids from the streets to raise as soldiers.  
“FN-what?” Poe asked.  
“That’s the only name they ever gave me.”  
Considering the nature of the name, Y/N would have expected a little less excitement, and Poe clearly agreed.  
“Well I ain’t using it. FN, huh? Finn. I’m gonna call you Finn. Is that alright?” She smiled, Poe was sweet to reject that title.  
“Finn…yeah! Finn. I like that!”  
“I’m Poe. Poe Dameron.  
“You’re Poe Dameron? Whoa, the First Order really hates you. Good to meet you Poe, Y/N.” Finn responded happily.  
“Good to meet you too, Finn.”  
Y/N smile over her shoulder at the two men. “It suits you. Good job taking out that cannon, Finn. You’re a better shot that most Stormtroopers we’ve met.” She complimented before she squinted at a shooting star in the distance. No, it was moving too fast. Shit. “Missiles ahead!”  
Massive launchers spun and fired blasts at their cramped Tie fighter as Poe swerved them evasively. Most blasts missed and hit the debris from the turbo-laser destruction. Not everyone could have Finn’s aim. Poe then pulled the fighter back towards Jakku. No droid left behind.  
“One’s coming towards you, Y/N/N. My right, your left, Finn. You see it?” Poe warned his gunner crew.  
“Hold on, I see it.” Finn took responsibility for the shot.  
“Nice.”  
“Where are you going?” The alarm was evident in his voice and she glanced at Poe, nodding for him to tell him.  
“Back to Jakku, that’s where.” Poe stated with authority.  
“No no no, we can’t go back to Jakku! We need to get out of this system!”  
It was the kind of resistance they’d expected. Poe flew aggressively as more lasers narrowly missed them.  
“We can’t leave Poe’s droid. The First Order are already after him.” She explained.  
“What- a droid?!”  
“That’s right. He’s a BB unit. Orange and white, one of a kind.” Pride bled though Poe’s voice as he spoke.  
“I don’t care what colour he is! No droid can be that important.” Finn argued.  
Y/N braced herself, but Poe miraculously managed to keep his cool. “This one is, pal.”  
“He’s our friend. Unlike the First Order, we don’t abandon those we love.” She added. This was one of the few of Poe’s reckless ideas that she could defend.  
“We go back to Jakku, we die!”  
“That droid’s got a map that leads straight to Luke Skywalker.”  
“You’ve got to be kidding me!”  
Those were the last words the pair would hear from their new friend in a long time.  
The blast caused the ship to spin wildly through space as Y/N jolted upwards, her head smacking the roof before gravity pulled herself and the ship downwards at an alarming speed.   
They had to act quick. Looking ahead, she noticed that the force of the pull was cracking the windows. She unbuckled her belt and kicked at the glass but her foot slipped, knocking into the controls and the ship shut down altogether. With a grunt she kicked again, this time with success as Poe’s foot joined her. She could see endless sand beneath. I wouldn't be the safest drop, but it seemed like their only chance to survive. Failing this mission wasn’t an option. She looped her arm through Poe’s and grabbed onto Finn’s shirt before jumping through the makeshift hole and pulling the men after her. Her grip on Finn slipped when a shard of glass caught her forearm and she fell the sand with only Poe tumbling after her.  
The fall wasn’t hard like she had predicted, but it still hurt like hell as Y/N rolled on impact to minimise injuries and lay back against the sand to catch her breath. She just needed to close her eyes, but she was alive.

“Y/N? Fuck, come on, Y/N/N, we’ve gotta move.” 

She opened her eyes with a groan and looked down to see Poe on his knees, tearing off the bottom of his shirt to wrap around her bleeding arm. His mother’s ring was clasped in his hand holding her arm, it must have come unclasped during the landing. Around them was the epic desert, dunes extending for all eternity. No TIE fighter and no Finn. Dark was approaching but the weather was still hot and unforgiving. If there was one thing she truly despised, it was sand. It was rough, coarse and went everywhere. 

She stopped Poe’s arm from tighetning the binding any more, using her middle and index finger to turn his face towards her. “Stop taking care of me and let me return the favour.” She directed as she leaned up and brushed his hair aside to look at the wound from earlier. He looked at her with an unreadable expression but he didn’t fight it.“You still look like shit. If we find shelter then I can take proper care of you.” The blood was dry and rubbed away easily as she ran her finger along the outside of the cut and glanced back at Poe. 

“Don’t I always? Jumping out of a TIE fighter really adds to the rugged hero look, don’t you think?” He joked and hung the chain around his neck again. 

“Well, before, you were an eleven. Now you’re an eight, possibly nine.” 

Poe grinned. “Thanks for the save back there. Seriously, you kicking the windows was a badass move.” The compliment added levity to them being stranded in the middle of the desert and Y/N allowed a small smile. She wasn’t sure if his own recklessness had rubbed off on her or she was just growing to be more adventurous on her own but she could tell that he liked it. The way he watched her was so intense, so trusting. It wasn’t surprising that he could sweep any man or woman off their feet. 

Poe struggled to his feet then helped her up and wasted no time as he headed south. “Finn? Finn?!” 

She knew it was hopeless. She was disorientated, scared and exhausted but she wasn’t alone. Not with Poe around. Finn was though and she couldn’t bear the thought of him being dead. 

The force had never seemed to react strongly to Y/N and she knew it could be a waste of energy but she closed her eyes and reached out for the energy around her. For her friend. “He’s not here.” She announced. “I don’t think he’s dead either. I sense him but the connection is weak. He was close but he must have left. He’s alive, but alone.” 

She opened her eyes to see Poe looking at her uncertainly. The Force was a complex energy that few people understood, and even fewer were sensitive enough to use it. He’d probably only believe it when he saw Finn with own eyes but, for now, he gave up searching. 

Parched and exhausted, the two trekked through the desert, with Y/N trailing a little behind Poe, across the vast and barren dunes. They came to a fairly large dune and Y/N glanced into the valley of sandy nothingness below. 

“It’s almost beautiful.” Poe noted, hands on hips. 

If only it wasn’t also trying to kill them. 

“That’s the problem with beautiful things. They’re usually the most dangerous. That’s what makes temptation so seductive.” 

She was about to ask if they could sit down for a break when she noticed a moving silhouette in the distance. A person. 

“Wait!” She called out in a voice as coarse as the sand beneath her fear as she took off running towards the figure, trusting that Poe was following her. 

The moving silhouette was a speeder, owned by a male Blarina who must have been Scavenging. 

“We’re with the resistance.” She explained. “Please, sir. We need somewhere to stay for the night.”“We’re with the resistance.” She explained. “Please, sir. We need somewhere to stay for the night.” 

The Blarina examined both Poe and Y/N before introducing himself. “I’m Naka lit. A scavenger of sorts. I might just scavenge you two.” He joked. At least, she hoped it was just his sense of humour. 

“I assure you, we’re not worth scavenging.” Poe then went on to explain their predicament. “-we stole the TIE fighter from the First Order but they shot us down. Now we need to return to our base so that we can track down our droid.” 

The Blarina stared them down for a moment before breaking into a fit of hysterical laughter, even crying a little at such a claim. He assumed they were lying. Maybe that was for the best, it was hard to tell what side people were on these days. It was less about morals and more about what suited their lifestyle. 

“As if. You know what? Your story was so amusing, I’ll actually help.” Naka lit boarded the speeder, inviting the two on behind him. 

Y/N got settled behind Poe, they were weaponless and needed to be careful. In situations like this, she had more faith in Poe than herself. The Blarina took a large swig of water from an old flask and shared it with Poe. He accepted it happily and she could tell that it was taking all his strength not to ravish every last drop. An ample amount remained when he passed the flask to her, but she knew it wouldn’t be polite to finish it. She had to make do with a few modest sips of warm water to dampen the inside of her mouth as Naka revved up the speeder. 

“We’re headed to Blowback Town. I’ll take you to a Blarina merchant who runs the place, Ohn Gos. He’s more likely to be sympathetic to your cause.” 

They’d really done it. They had escaped the First Order, made an ally and had completed the mission. They could track BB-8 back at the base, they weren’t going to let Leia down. There was hope, and rebellions were built on hope. Y/N took the time to appreciate just how much she and Poe had gone through in just a few hours. 

She pulled the flask away, dragging her sleeve along her lips to dry them. She’d heard little of Blowback Town but then again, Jakku had never been a place of interest. 

“Thank you.” She spoke as she passed the water back. “This is Poe Dameron, and I’m Y/N S- Dameron.” She couldn’t reveal her true identity, not yet. Word spread quickly on planets large and small, it would only lead Kylo Ren back to them. 

“Siblings?” The Blarina asked politely. 

“No!” Poe was quick to deny that. She glanced at him with the classic ‘just go with it’ look, hoping he understood why she had stolen his last name. Being a Dameron wouldn’t be so bad, Shara Bey had been a badass. 

“Lov-” 

Lit didn’t get to finish his query as a blast almost tipped them sidewards. There was another speeder in the distance, and it was gaining on them fast. From the aim of the shot, it seemed that their attacker’s aim was to disable the vehicle rather than to kill the passengers. The lesser of two evils, but not ideal. They could still be with the First Order. 

“Who are they?” Poe asked, sounding like it was a mild inconvenience rather than anything dangerous. Poe was obscuring her vision, but Y/N didn’t like the exchange she was hearing. 

“Strus clan. A motley collection of grunks who can’t salvage, repair, trade or anything else. So they steal from those who can. Right now, that’s us.” 

Previously, the Blarina’s mediocre piloting hadn’t seemed to bother Poe too much, they had all been exhausted. Now, though, he was growing antsy. His clumsy dodges simply wouldn’t satisfy the pilot. 

“Can I take control of the speeder?” Poe asked as calmly and politely as he could. If this wasn’t a high-stakes situation, Y/N would have laughed at his evident struggle. 

“No.” 

When the Blarina refused, Poe proceeded to wrestle with him over the controls. He was better at flying than negotiation. She pulled him off and glanced at the Blarina. “Look, Poe’s the best pilot in the whole damn galaxy. If you want to keep your precious treasures then I suggest you give him control of this speeder.” When that didn’t work, she turned to her last resort. They didn’t have much time and she reached out with her mind, reminding herself what she was fighting for to concentrate. “You will give him control of the speeder, and direct us to Blowback Town.” 

Naka lit stared vacantly ahead, letting go of Poe’s shirt. “I will give him control of the speeder and direct you to Blowback Town.” She was surprised that it had worked, but now they stood a chance. 

Poe glanced back at her but he knew they were in a rush and lifted the Blarina with ease, placing him to her and she helped him settle onto the seat behind as he took over the controls. He turned a sharp left and, contrary to his usual instinct, began to decelerate. 

“What are you doing?!” Naka lit asked when he came to. 

“Pretending to surrender.” 

The Strus speeder approached and that’s when Poe tilted the nose of the speeder skyward, shooting away at full power and breakneck speed. True Dameron fashion. A heap of sand fell upon their pursuers, rendering their vehicle inoperable. 

“Yes!” He exclaimed victoriously as he continued to put distance between them and the Strus clan. It was a minor victory, but in the context of the events that had taken place previously, it was a sweet one. 

Naka lit was just as overjoyed. “I’m impressed. Keep flying, boy! I’ll get you and your girl a ship in Blowback. That way.” 

As Poe followed the Blarina’s directions, Naka continued to muse about him to Y/N. “The piloting skills. The sheer audacity. Your boy would’ve made one heck of a pod racer.” 

“Meh, I give him a 9.5 out of 10. He had help and didn’t blow anything up.” She argued with a small grin when Poe turned to glare at her. She knew the missing five-tenths were important to him, and he wouldn’t stop trying to impress her as a result. 

“Naka.” Poe used the Blarina’s name for the first time. They had developed some sort of companionship somewhere during the journey. “Is that it?” 

Y/N peered over Poe’s shoulder and frowned. It wasn’t bad; she had just expected…more. 

“That’s Blowback Town.” Lit confirmed, standing with his hands on her shoulders due to his lack of height. 

It wasn’t Takodana, that was for sure. Jakku wasn’t a planet of luxury, but this was just miserable. 

Poe tried to be gentle as the old speeder sputtered to a stop on the outskirts of the town. Naka lit dismounted first and let his sack of treasures hit the ground. Poe was next, offering a hand to Y/N to help her. “Stay close.” He advised before they followed the Blarina who was hauling his sack towards town like a seaman. She wanted to argue that she could take care of herself, but her mother had made it abundantly clear who was in charge of this mission. Without a blaster, it was hard for her not to feel helpless. 

She caught up with Naka and rubbed her neck as she wondered how to ask her next question. Hadn’t he done enough by bringing them here? “We need to rest before we fly any further. We lost all our belongings when we were captured, if you could spare some of your trinkets then we can make sure the resistance repays you.” She explained, guilt laced thickly into every word. 

To her surprise, Naka only smiled in response as he opened up the sack and handed them a few things, “I hope you’re right.” He said before he clinked off to wherever he was needed. 

Poe grabbed a few things and looked down at her, “Let’s find somewhere to trade these for credits, my love.” He winked playfully and began walking. 

Now that death was less imminent, she knew Poe wasn’t going to let her live that down anytime soon. This was what she got in return for wanting to protect his ass.It could be worse. She could only hope that Finn;s escape had been slightly less eventful. 

“Please, I would make a badass wife.” She countered then let out a sigh. “I feel bad. What if he relies on his findings to feed his family?” She asked as she trailed after Poe. 

Poe glanced down at her then cast a look in the direction that Naka Lit had disappeared in. “He’ll be fine, Y/N/N. He had a lot of stuff, good stuff.” He tried to comfort her on the matter and stopped in front of a trading post. “How many credits can we get for these?” He inquired, flashing his usual smile towards the woman behind the counter. Y/N was no stranger to his charm so while the woman was a blushing mess, she was trying hard not to laugh. 

The woman looked over their junk and placed a small pouch on the countertop. Naka Lit would be fine, he’d clearly kept the best treasures for himself. 

“Would I be able to buy you a drink when my shift ends?” She asked sheepishly. 

Poe blinked a few times and wrapped an arm around Y/N’s shoulder. “I’m a spoken man, sorry.” He took the bag of credits faster than he’d taken out the cannons of the Star Destroyer and turned away. “Think we have enough?” 

She wasn’t going to let him forget about that just yet, he could consider it payback oor his teasing. “She was cute. You didn’t have to lie.” She assured him as they headed to the inn. The only one in town, and it looked more like a storefront. 

Poe shrugged, one arm still around her shoulders. “We’re on a mission, and it wouldn’t have been fair to you.” 

“We only have two ground rooms left.” The clerk announced when Poe placed the credits on the desk. He sounded apologetic but Y/N heaved a sigh of relief. She really didn’t want to be alone right now. She was starting to ache from the injuries sustained throughout the day and she really just wanted to get cleaned up. 

She grabbed Poe’s arm before he could empty the pouch. “We might need to pay Ohn Gos, and if not then the Resistance could use more credits. Best if we share.” 

“That’s alright, we’ll take one.” Poe spoke up, taking the key and leading Y/N down the hall. It was more that he was pushing her along as exhaustion caught up to them both. 

As soon as Poe got the door open, Y/N made it her mission to locate a med pack. 

“Bingo.” She announced and pointed to the bed as she observed the contents. “Sit.” It wasn’t much but at least they wouldn’t have to walk around town looking even more suspicious than they did. 

“Yes, Princess.” Poe smirked and followed her order. That was a first. Now they were safe, it was just another mission, and Poe suddenly had all the time in the world for jokes and being an annoying prat. 

She drew the curtains closed and unwrapped Poe’s makeshift bandage from her arm with a grimace at the sight. At least it wasn’t infected, they couldn’t risk that kind of setback. She poured some rubbing alcohol onto a cotton pad and dabbed gently at the wound but she could still feel Poe’s muscles tensing under her touch while he held his tousled locks out of the way. 

“I wanna look at your ribs too, can you take your shirt off?” 

“If you wanted me to take my clothes off, you could have just asked.” Poe grinned, thinking he was some kind of comedian.

Frankly, she had expected better from him. That joke was so juvenile. 

“If I wanted you to take your clothes off, I wouldn’t have needed to ask. They’d be off by now.” 

That seemed to shut him up long enough for her to get back to work cleaning him up. Nothing was broken, but he’d have one hell of a bruise. Poe reached out and took her arm. 

“I’m not gonna heal any more without time. Let me help you now.” He tugged her gently to sit beside him and brushed his fingertips along her skin. “The glass got you good.” He wrapped the wound with real bandages once it was clean and taped it down, “There. Now you’re a true fighter.” He smiled. 

“You’re pretty good at playing doctor.” Why wasn’t she surprised? She glanced at the bandage then back at Poe who was still sat in all his shirtless glory. They both looked like a pair of hot messes. It was all his fault. 

“I’ll kill him.” She said quietly. “I’m going to kill Kylo Ren.” 

If Poe’s gaze got any softer, his eyes would start melting out of their sockets. “Y/N/N… I’m worried about you.” He confessed as he reached for her hand. “You’ve got to be careful. You’re too valuable to be that reckless.” 

She glanced down at her hands in his larger, slightly rougher hands. “I looked him in the eye and I didn’t recognise any of it. My brother’s gone, Poe. It would take a miracle to bring him back, no matter what my mother thinks. If anyone should end it, it should be me. I know I don’t have as many missions under my belt but I’m a beast with a blaster and I-”

“I’m not worried about you dying. I’m worried about you. I’m worried that in your desire to destroy the monster he has become, you’ll lose a part of yourself.” He told her, less authoritative and more concerned. “I’ve seen what vengeance can do to a person, I don’t want that happening to you.” 

She bit her lip and nodded. “I’m not like him, Poe.” 

Poe sighed and nodded. “I didn’t mean it like that. Just don’t let your anger consume you. We completed the mission, all we have to do now is find our way home.” He rose from the bed and grabbed a pillow, setting it on the ground beside them. “We should rest. I don’t wanna waste any more time here than we already have. I’ll take first watch.” 

Y/N nodded in agreement and kicked off her boots. Her feet were probably blistered from the walking and running and scrambling. She crawled under the blankets with her back to Poe and closed her eyes. For a few moments her eyes felt heavy and she waited for sleep to overcome her but then she thought about Ben and BB-8 and Finn, how could she sleep when they’d left so many loose ends? Instead, she grabbed her own pillow and wordlessly threw the covers aside, sliding down to the ground beside Poe. 

“I was worried that Kylo Ren would have gotten to you.” She said quietly. She had heard his tortured screams from the next cell over. “We’re not even sure we have the map and we lost Finn. Did we really succeed?” 

Poe stayed quiet as he thought, possibly uncomfortable about what had happened. “He brought some shit up and meddled with my head, but I’m alright.” He assured. “Was I loud? Did he hurt you?” He picked up her hand and examined it. 

She frowned, fighting back the human urge to ask what exactly had happened. He was so strong to still be himself after whatever Force torture her brother had used on him. “Even if you weren’t, I probably would have felt your pain.” She glanced at their hands and closed her fingers around his hand. “Physically, no. I guess he already had what he needed.” 

Poe opened her fingers up again, letting his fingers dance over her palm. “And mentally? I need to know if he hurt you.” He spoke softly and gently tipped her head up with the knuckle of his index finger. “I asked you to stay with BB-8, I should've known you weren't gonna let them take me without a fight.” 

She cleared her throat and shook her head. “He didn’t lay a hand on me, I was more worried about you. Poe, if you died then I would literally lose my mind.” 

Poe smiled fondly. “Good, I like it when you worry about me.” He smirked a little and leaned back against the bed. “I’m always gonna be around. Someone has to encourage you when you get daring.” 

Y/N smiled and nudged his ribs. “My job is less daring because I’m usually trying to keep you in line.” 

Poe chuckled. “Ans while that’s all great, you’re one of my best friends. When I say you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, I mean it, and I have a lot of great things.” He leaned down and pressed his lips to her cheek. “So take care of yourself for me, okay?” 

“Only if you return the favour, Commander.” She responded and bit her lip, wondering if he could also hear her pounding heart. 

Poe pulled his head away with a smile. “For you, Princess? Anything.” 

“You smell awful, by the way.”


End file.
